Telegraph key and instrument



2 SheetS-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. A. MELBOURNE.

TELEGRAPH KEY AND INSTRUMENT. No. 378,332. Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

witness a a 5 1400144306,

(No Model.) 2' Sheets-Sheet 2. W. A. MELBOURNE.

TELEGRAPH KEY AND INSTRUMENT. No. 378,382. Patented Feb.- 21, 1888.

In was..-

witnesses d%g%zz- J1 F3 a /2% am H 7 Urvrrn I? warns XVILLIAM A. MELBOURNE,

OF SVVANNIGK, ILLINOIS.

TELEGRAPH KEY AND INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,332, dated February 21, 1888.

Application filed October 15, 1887. Serial No. 252.443. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. MEL- BOURNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swanwick, in the county of Perry and 5 State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph Keys and Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in telegraph keys and instruments; and it consists in the arrangement of the key with two 5 main lines so as to enable it to be thrown into the circuit of either, and, fnrtheiy in certain details of the combination and arrangement of the several parts of the device, substantially as will be hereinafter specified, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,' illustrating my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved telegraph key and instrument. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an interior view of the bottom of the base, showing the arrangement of the parts in said base when the key is in circuit with one of the main lines. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the arrangement of parts when the key is in the circuit of the other main line. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line m :r of Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A denotes a hollow box, base, or casing of any desired shape and size, and consisting, preferably, of a top, upon which the key is mounted, and a bottom, as A, said top and bottom being suitably secured together and having an inner space between then1,which is occupied by the parts of my device, whereby the key is placed in circuit with either one or the other of the main lines.

B represents the key. It consists of a strip of steel or other spring metal or substance, 5 provided on one end with the usual insulated linger-button,while the other end is curved or bent back upon itself, the extremity being rigidly secured to the base A vertical screw-threaded post, G, fastened upon the top of the base A, passes through a perforation in the metallic strip B, and carreadily seen that the spring metal of which.

the key is composed gives it the tendency to move upward, a tendency which is effected in the common key by means of springs, 8:0. Adjacent to the key upon casing Aisaswitch, D, by the proper manipulation of which the operator can cause the key to serve as a trans mitter. Upon the casing are also located the binding-posts E E E E two of which, E and E, receive the wires of mainline No. 1, and the other two, E and E the wires of main line No. 2. By means of these posts the wires are connected with the instrument.

"Within the hollow box or base is located longitudinally a rotative switch consisting of a rod, F, which projects through an opening in one end of the base and is provided with a lever-handle, F, secured to this exposed end, whereby the switch is manipulated. A flat sprin G, fastened at one end to bottom A, bears within a circumferential groove on the switch-rod F and serves to hold it fixed in any position to which it may have been rotated. Suitable grooves on the interior of the hollow base guide the rod in the desired manner.

Secured to base A transversely to the rod F, and with a certain portion of each of them beneath said rod, are eight metallic strips, H I J K L M N 0, preferably of brass. One way of arranging these strips, which I have found it convenient to adopt, is shown in the example of my invention illustrated in the drawings. (See Fig. 5.) Here a longitudinal groove is cut in base A beneath rod F. The strips H. I J, 850., are each secured to the base A at one end, with their free ends projecting partially across this groove. The rod F rests upon these free ends, and the spring G serves to hold said rod close down upon the strips, which are thereby caused to bend more or less, and thus their own tension helps to maintain a permanent and unbroken contact with the rod F, or rather the plates thereon, to be hereinafter spoken of.

The rod F is provided on two longitudinal lines thereof with two series of three plates each. One of these lines will be on the bottom of the rod when the handle F is vertical or in the position shown in the plan, Fig. 4, and the other line when the rod is in thesame position will be on the outer side of said rod. The three plates on the under side of the rod when in position shown in Fig. 4 are lettered g, h, and z, and they are so positioned relatively to each other and the plates H I J, &c., that plate 9 will rest upon and establish a connection between plates I and J, plate It will rest upon and connect plates L and M, and platet' will similarly rest upon and connect plates N and O. The other series of three plates are designated 70, Z, and m. When the switchrod has been rotated to the position in Fig. 3, where handle F is in a position at right angles to that in Fig. 4, these plates 70, Z, and on will be on the bottom of the switchrod, and they are so positioned on said rod relatively to each other, to the plates H I J, 850., and the plates ghi that when the switchrod is in the position of Fig. 3 plate is will rest upon and establish a connection between plates H and I, plate Z will rest upon and connect plates J and K, and plate m will similarly rest upon and connect plates M and N. It will thus be seen how a quarter-revolution of the rotative switch-rod will change the connections between the different plates and atford difierent paths for the electrical current.

The two wires of main line No. 1 connect with the binding-posts E and E, as already stated. Inside the casing a wire, 0, passes from post E to plate M. The connection with plate M, as likewise the connection of the wires with all the eight plates, is made by twisting the end of the wire about a screw on the plate; but I do not intend to confine myself to this mode of connection, as various others may be devised. From the post E a wire, 10, extends to plate N. The wires of main line No. 2 connect with binding-posts E and E, a wire from post E, as q, passing to plate I, and a wire from post E, as r, passing to plate J. The contact-point c beneath the key connects with plate H by a wire which passes on, as s, and makes a connection with plate L. The key itself has connection with plate 0, and also plate K, by a wire, 25, passing from key to plate 0 and then between plates 0 and K. Obviously considerable variations may be made in the mode of arranging these wircs, provided that they are so placed that the electrical current will flow in substantially the same way as that permitted by the present arrangement.

From this description of the construction of the instrument and the internal arrangement of the plates and Wires it will be readily understood how the switch-rod F is to be manipulated for the purpose of allowing the key to be in the circuit of line No. 1 or of line No. 2. Suppose it is desired to use the instrument in connection with line No. 1. The operator along wire 8 to plate H and the contact 0.

From the key it will run into plate 0, across connection 1; into plate N, and then by wire 1) into the other wire of line No. 1, that reaches the instrument at binding'screw E. This arrangement of parts is seen in Fig. 4. The circuit of line No. 2 will at this time be closed and the current will pass from screw E through wire 9' to plate J, plate 9, plate I, and wire q to screw E WVhen it is desired to use main line No. 2, the operator will move handle F until it lies in a horizontal position,as seen in Fig. 3. The plates is l m on the rod F will now make the desired connections, as already hereinabove stated. The current from wire at binding screw E will pass through wire q to plate I, thence across by plate 7a to plate H, and so to the contact a. through plate 0 into wire 15 to plate K, across connection Z into plate J, and thence by wire 1" to the other wire of main line No. 2. Main line No. 1 will now be closed,the current flowing from one main wire through wire 1), plate N, connection m, plate M, and wire 0 to the other main wire. In this manner the key is changed from one line to the other without obstructing either linein working,and both lineinstruments working through this key can be heard working at all times Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the casing having a base portion, the series of eight plates secured to said base relatively as specified, the rotative switch'rod having two separate series of three plates each located thereon, as shown, the two main lines, the connecting wires, and the key, substantially as described.

2. The rotating switch consisting of a rod having two series of three plates each arranged in longitudinal lines, in combination with the base of the casing, provided with a series of eight parallel plates with which the switchrod plates .form connections, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of a rotating switch-rod having two series of three plates each thereon, a horizontal series of eight plates which the switch-rod operates to connect, as set forth,the

From key current will flow two main lines, a suitable system of connect ing-wires between the plates and the main lines, and the key, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the hollow base, the rotative switch-rod provided with plates,the horizontal series of plates beneath the switchrod, the connecting-wires between the plates, base A, the eight plates H I J K L M N 0, sethe two main lines, the key, and connections I cured to said base, the switch-rod F, provided between them, substantially as described. with plates 9 7m and k Z m, the two main lines, I 5

5. The combination of the hollow base, the connecting-wires, andkey, substantially as de- 5 key mounted thereon, the rotating switch scribed.

within the casing, provided with a suitable I In testimony whereof Iaffix my signaturein handle operating in suitable guides and kept presence of two witnesses. in place by a sprin within the easin and the l T series'ofeightparalfialpletesbeneath tlieswitch, WILLIAM MELBOURL 10 the connecting-wires, and the two main lines, Witnesses:

all substantially as described. JOHN L. KENNEY, 6. The combination of hollow base A, having JOHN I. HIGGS. 

